Firing control for multiple gun mounts



Oct. 31', 1950 R. E. DUPLESSIS FIRING CONTROL FOR MULTIPLE GUN MOUNTS Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 31, 1950 R. E. DUPLESSIS 2,527,715

FIRING CONTROL FOR MULTIPLE GUN MOUNTS Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \16 l l 114 1% m Patented Oct. 31, 1950 FIRING CONTROL FOR MULTIPLE GUN MOUNTS Ren E. Duplessis, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 6, 1945, Serial No. 597,731

This invention relates to ordnance of the automatic type and more particularly to a gun mount adapted to support aplurality of automatic guns, the mount being provided with a unitary means enabling the operator optionally to fire all or a lesser number of the guns at will.

If a single gunner is to fire a number of guns at-a target it is obviously advantageous to provide him with a unitary control means whereby a lesser ,number'of those guns may first be used to,train all the guns on the target and whereby more than the lesser number of guns may then be fired, With such a control not only is an economy of ammunition realized but the operation of training the guns upon the target is facilitated as vibration of all the guns need not be contended with until the proper moment arrives. Ina multiple gun arrangement for this purpose it is also highly advantageous to have the guns grouped as closely as possible for ordinated operation.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved gun mount by means of which a plurality of trigger-operated guns may be operated in predetermined coordination, the operation being undertaken through a unitary control means placed on the mount.

For the purposes in view, and in accordance with various features of the invention, the illustrated mount is constructed with a common platform or support for a plurality of ZO-millimeter machine guns. The construction is such that in operation the guns may be trained on a target by moving the platform, and mechanical linkages are provided on the platform by means of which some or all of the gun triggers may be operated. Furthernovelty is to be recognized in a remotely located treadle with associated linkages for operatingthe guns.

*Theabove and other features of the invention, including novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly describedinconnection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim.

ln'the drawi'ngs, i d V V Fig. 1 is aview in side elevation of a mount for a plurality of guns in which the present 1 Claim. (Cl. 89127) in Fig. 2 with a portion in section of the supporting means.

In Fig. 1 is shown a conventional gun mount generally indicated at In having a gunners seat l2 at one side of four,- automatic guns. The seat [2 is mounted on an operators platform 18 which is adapted to rotate with the main portion 20 of themount about a vertical axis for the purpose of training the guns in azimuth, as is conventional. In the case of the mount illustrated only two guns, [4 and [6, are shown in the most comprehensive elevational view (Fig. 1). However, there are four guns in this particular construction, two of them, 22 and 24, being in alinement with the guns l4 and I6 as viewed in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows their staggered arrangement The gun I4 is provided with a magazine 26 and the gun It is provided with a magazine 28. 'The guns 22 and 24 are similarly provided with magazines (not shown). All four guns are mounted upon a platform 34, this platform having upstanding flanges 36 which are suspended upon a shaft 38 carried in a bearing 40 on the main portion 20 of' the mount. The mountings of all four guns, with respect to the platform 34, are

similar. A forward portion of the gun [4 (taken as representative of the other guns) is pivoted at 42 upon a pin 44 firmly attached to the platform 34 by a nut 46. At a rear portion of the gun 14, a second pin 48 is threaded into the platform 34 and provided with a locking means whereby the gun is held in adjusted position after bore sighting. The mounting of each gun on the platform 34 is subject to great variation and the specific means here shown forms no part of the present invention. For purposes of training the guns in elevation a motor driven gear segment 50 is attached to the platform 34 and an equilibrator rod 52 is shown pivoted to the segment 50 at point 54. The rod 52 is connected to an equilibrator 56 pivoted at 58 to a bracket 60 upon the main portion 20 of the mount. Only one equilibrator is shown in the drawings but two equilibrators are used as is conventional. The

specific power mechanism for training all the staggered relation upon the platform 34 and thisarrangement permits a compact grouping ofthe guns as parts such as the magazines may be placed more in alinement longitudinally of the guns ina stead of being placed side by side. The guns may also be turned on their axes, in carrier o permit.-

3 them to be more closely grouped, the Specific arrangement being dependent upon the type of guns used.

A foot rest 62 is rigidly mounted on the operators platform I8 and closely adjacent thereto a firing treadle 64 is keyed to a shaft 66 mounted for rotation in bearings on the platform I8. A lever 68 is also keyed to the shaft 66 to rotate therewith upon depression of the treadle 64. A rod I is pivoted at I2 to the lever 68 and is arranged to slide in a conduit terminal I4 on the mount. The rod I0 is attached to a flexible single cable H (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) axially sliclable within a conduit I6 which leads up to a bracket I8 fixed to the bottom of the platform 34. A'rod 80 is attached to the upper end of the flexible cable II and is pivoted by means of a block 82 to a lever 84.

The lever 84 is pivoted to a short shaft 86 mounted in a bracket 88 attached to the platform or's'upport 34. A spring '90 is attached at 92"to the lower end of the lever 84 and is also attached at 94 to a vertical pin 95 rigidly depending from the platform34. A horizontal link 96 (Figs. 2 and 3) is pivoted at 98 to the upper end of the lever 84 and is also pivoted at I00 to a lever I02 rotatable on a shaft I04 held within a bracket I06 on the platform 34. The link 96 has a cut out portion I08 of a configuration as viewed in Fig. 3. Adjacent to the bracket 88 on the platform 34 is a bracket IIO fastened to the platform 34 and in axial alinement with this bracket '0 are fastened brackets H2 and II4 (Fig. 2). These brackets H0, H2 and '4 support coaxial and rotative members transverse to the platform 34. These members comprise a rotative shaft H6 and a sleeve I I8, the latter being concentric with a-portion of the shaft II6 as shown in Fig. 2. Integral with the sleeve II8 are two levers I20 and I22 of the same angularity with respect to the vertical and also a third lever I24 inclined rearwardly, that is, to the left as shown in Fig. 2. Pinned to'the shaft II6 are three-brackets. I30, I32 and I34 bearing levers I36; I38 and I40; respectively. The lever I40'is co-planar with the levers I36 and I38 and, as the parts are positioned in Figs. 2 and 4, levers I20 and I22 (integral with the sleeve II8) also lie in that same plane. The-lever I38 is provided with a pin I42 bearing a roller I44 and, as shown in Fig. 3, this roller I 44 occupiesapproximately a mid positionwithin the cut out portion- I08 of the link 96. The lever I35 bears a pin I46 upon which is pivoted the forwardend-of a trigger bar or actuator I48, the rear end of which is forked, as shown. The lever I22 on sleeve 8 bears apin I50 upon which is pivoted a trigger bar-or actuator I52 similar to the trigger bar I48. The lever I40 bears a pin I54 upon which is pivoted a trigger hook or actuator I56 extending forwardly or to the right as viewed in Fig. 2. The lever I20 on sleeve I-I8 bears a pin I 58 (Fig. 2) upon which is pivoted a trigger hook or actuator I60 similar to trigger hook I56. Parallel to the link 96 and arranged to be moved therewith upon the pivots 98 and I00 is a link I64 the configuration of which can be clearly seen in Fig. 4-, it having a cut out portion presenting two shoulders I66 and I68, this cut out portion being for a purpose to be described hereinafter. As will be apparent, the levers 84 and I02 together with the links 96-and I64 constitute a system of levers which move or swing as a unit when the treadle 54 18 mQVed. The arm I24 bears a roller I 4 and, as viewed in Fig. 4, the roller H0 is in engagement with the shoulder I68.

The forked ends of the trigger bars I48 and I52 are arranged to engage the triggers I49 and I 53 of one outside gun and one inside gun of the staggered arrangement. The hooks I56 and I60 arearranged to engage the triggers I51 and I6I of the other two guns.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the linkages while in non-firing positions. A gunner seated in the seat I2 and having the guns pointing in approximately the correct direction of the target is enabled correctly to train his guns during the firing of only two of them. He may do so by slightly depressing the treadle 64 to fire the two inside guns I6 and 22 and by watching the effect of his shots. This slight depression of treadle 64 will cause a pull of the flexible cable II through its conduit 16 and move the upper end of lever 84 to the left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. As a consequence the lever I24 will be rotated counterclockwise asviewed in Fig. 4 because of the contact of roller I'I0'with the shoulder E68. As sleeve I I8 rotates, the levers I20 and I22 will also be rotated with the result that triggerbar I52'and trigger ho'ok I60 will actuate the triggers of the two guns I6 and 22. After properly training these two guns on the target and because of the lostmotion arrangement shown (shoulder I68 comes into operation first and then shoulder I08 comes into operation) the gunner may further depress the treadle 64 with the result that lever 84"will swing still further, and the two guns I6 and 22 will'continue firing (as the roller I'IlI will merely ride over the shoulder I68) and with such further or-larger extent of motion, the shoulder I08 oflink 96 will contact ro1l'erI44 and swing the lever I38 counterclockwise. Shaft II6 will'ther'efore be turned counterclockwise and through levers 136 andI40 will move the trigger bar I48 r and-24 will first cease firing, and then (if desired) the two inside guns "I6 and 22 will cease'firing. Retraction of the triggers from their firin'g'p'ositions is accomplished by the spring mechanisms present in the guns themselves as conventionally constructed.

It can be seen that the treadle 64 may be remotely mounted from the guns due to'the flexible cable "I'I connecting it to the linkages upon the platform 34 and that it is quite feasible to mount the treadle at a point still more remote from the guns-i. .e.it neednot be mounted on the operator s platform I8 which is rotatable with the mount, but may be stationary. It also may be seen that although the apparatus of the drawings is adapted for the operation of four guns, more 'or fewer guns may be utilized by merely connecting suitable levers toeither the number of gunsand at the most opportune moment to effect the use-of all the guns.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A gun mount comprising a platform supporting a plurality of trigger-operated guns, the latter being in close and substantially parallel relation, said platform carrying a system of levers and being movable with said guns in elevation and in azimuth, a remotely mounted treadle with a flexible single cable arranged to convey motion of the treadle to said system of levers, coaxial and rotative members mounted on and extending transverse to said platform, trigger actuators arranged to engage the triggers of said guns, said actuators being pivoted to arms attached to said coaxial members, and said system of levers having a lost motion arrangement connecting said system with said coaxial members whereby an optional number of triggers may be pulled dependent upon the extent of movement given to the treadle.

RENE E. DUPLESSIS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,443,249 Dupcza Jan. 23, 1923 2,097,962 Boussel May 2, 1937 2,168,114 Boussel Aug. 1, 1939 10 2,236,335 Dugied Mar. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 684,720 Germany Dec. 4, 1939 15 537,405 Great Britain June 20, 1941 867,031 France June 30, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES British N'avy, Life Magazine, page 80, Nov. 20 20, 1939.

5-Gun Turret," Aviation Magazine, pages 44, 45, May 1941. 

